Umbar ar' heren (Fate and fortune)
by ollieu
Summary: Set 2 months after TH, Bilbo is set the live the life of an old confirmed bachelor. Not so fast. The story doesn't end there. When Ireth, a feisty female hobbit with a murky past, not of the Shire, shows up at his door with a message that Gandalf needs him, their fate and destiny are forever intertwined. But when prophesies are made and the future becomes hazy, Bilbo senses danger.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Since his big adventure, Bilbo Baggins had been celebrated as a hero by the dwarfs, and as a result, lots of compliments and praises had been thrown his way, along with lots of parties, celebrations and visitors. These did not include his neighbouring hobbits, nor the Sackville-Baggins, who were rather disappointed in his return, but of hobbits all around middle earth. No doubt Gandalf had spread the word of his great adventure. He may lost some credibility in the village, but gained some elsewhere, so he was not too flustered. But, er, for _Bilbo_, this was all proving a little too much. Despite his long adventure, full of various experiences and encounters that he daresay would never forget, that did not diminish his stubbornness entirely, and unfortunately for the village, this meant that he still did not converse as happily, nor as long, as they would have liked him to. As for Bilbo, following all the drama, which he felt was quite enough for one lifetime, of his long adventure, the only thing he secretly wanted to do was to be left quite alone and relax in quiet solitude. This, however, was not to be.

"For god's sake, I said no more visitorrr-" started Bilbo irritatingly, as he walked towards the door for the thousandth time that fine spring day with exasperation. As he heaved open the door, his gaze low because he was tired and could not be bothered to look up, he saw a slim cloaked figure. It was a hobbit no doubt, he thought quickly. Obviously one of the families were trying to get him to marry one of their daughters…. He scoffed to himself as he glanced up.

Surrounded by Bilbo's patches of vegetable plot, which made her seem rather out of place, stood the most beautiful hobbit Bilbo Baggins had ever seen and would, in fact, ever see. The minute he clasp eyes on her, standing in front of his welcome mat, he could do nothing but gaze, feet stuck to his tiled floor, mesmerised by what he saw.

This was no lass of the shire, if she was even a lass to begin with. Her beauty was striking, so striking in fact that Bilbo lost his trail of thought immediately.

And nature seemed to agree with Bilbo, because it so happened that at that precise moment, the setting sun's rays caught the back of her head, eluminating her chocolaty brown hair, which cascaded, a little wildly, down her curved figure. There was something inexplicably foreign about her; her face actually reminded Bilbo of the elves, for she had a small snub of a nose, and her lips had a delicate sensualness about them. It was her eyes however, that held Bilbo so transfixed. They were of a subtle emerald green that held a very direct gaze, so hypnotising at first that Bilbo could not look away. She was a petite figure however, and not at all dainty. She was definitely a hobbit, for her arms and hands were clearly of strong structure, though her feet were not as big as Bilbo's. Actually, Bilbo felt slightly worried of the damage that she could cause. Clearly she had been trained, she seemed like the feisty type that would put up a fight. She did not have that carefree aura that those in the Shire held. She was beautiful, but intimidating. Even for Bilbo.

"-orsss," ended Bilbo, who stared rather idiotically at her, his mouth making small movements but no sound.

She, however, did not seem in the least bit surprised, nor thrilled at the sight of Bilbo. In all honesty, it seemed as if coming to speak to Bilbo Baggins was the last thing on her mind. She frowned and then proceeded to raise one of her delicate eyebrows at the rather odd-looking hobbit who seemed like he was about to throw up or faint on the spot, she couldn't tell which. This could not be the heroic hobbit that she had been sent to look for.

"Are you Bilbo Baggins?" she asked quizzically.

_Crumbs, she has a beautiful and intimidating voice too_, thought Bilbo, giving a rather feeble "yes" before spluttering and attempting to speak the word again with more depth and masculinity.

"Oh. Right, well, Gandalf has sent me to escort you to his meeting," she said rather firmly, in a I-tolerate-no-nonsense-like tone.

"His…. meeting?" said Bilbo in confusion.

"Yes, his meeting. With the village. And the dwarfs. Surely he has- he _has_ explained all of this to you already, yes?" she said, with a slight tone of incredulousness. When Bilbo gave no reply, struggling to give an answer that would satisfy her no doubt, she sighed before informing him that he need not worry, but that he ought to follow her in any case. Bilbo nodded, before giving a "right" and taking his cloak and staff. She had already started walking down the road. He ran awkwardly to catch up with her.

…..

Bilbo walked behind, watching her dark navy cloak sashay from side to side.

"We are unacquainted are we not? I do not believe that I have ever seen you around these parts of the Shire," said Bilbo tentatively.

"I am not from the Shire," she said, rather coldly and not looking back at Bilbo but straight ahead. When she made no further comment, Bilbo gave a feeble "I see," before asking her about her business with Gandalf.

"I'm afraid that is between Gandalf and myself, and I cannot tell you. But_ your_ story with him is said to be legendary-"

"Oh, I wouldn't say legendary," scoffed Bilbo, laughing boastfully.

"Almost too hard to believe," said she with a hint of sarcasm.

"Well, yes, it all felt rather surreal to-" continued Bilbo before realising what she had said. He stopped laughing abruptly. And then he frowned. Who was she to taunt him? Had she defeated the great dragon Smaug? Could she disappear into thin air? Bilbo felt a slight burning sensation in the pit of his stomach. It was not anger exactly. He didn't know what it was. He hadn't felt this way before.

By now they had reached the top of the hill and Bilbo could already see the newly established village pub, where celebrations were still taking place. The largest in the Shire, it seemed to glow with a merry hue, with streams of warm light pouring out from the glazed windows, a dramatic contrast to the fading twilight that surrounded it with a subtle mystery. It was getting colder and darker, and yet the hobbits' laughter and cheers could be heard from a mile off. As they descended towards it, the feisty hobbit (this is not description of Bilbo) took a sharp turn around the thatch, never actually entering the pub. This puzzled Bilbo exceedingly, and he briefly pondered over whether to ask if she was sure about where she was going. He decided against this however; she already seemed frustrated as it was and he would probably only make her more so. Behind the thatch was a large field and beyond lay the cave which Bilbo made in his youth, a place where he would often go to get away from his family, where he could dream of adventures with elves, moving trees and all manner of creatures and monsters. He was the hero of course. He lived in his head then, and was not a very sociable young hobbit.

"Are we going in there?" asked Bilbo incredulously, as she seemed to keep walking towards it, for now they were walking through the long grass, which made Bilbo's legs itch.

"Yes. That is where Gandalf is waiting," she said bluntly before pushing on.

As they came nearer, Bilbo noticed a flickering light coming from the inside, and whiffs of smoke rising from it. Then, a shadow seemed to move at the sound of their rustling, and Gandalf appeared, quite awkwardly, popping his head out from the cave which was bound to be a little small for him. He had not changed in the least since their big adventure, although he was wearing much nicer clothing, no doubt made by the SHire's hobbits who were known to meddle with foreign fashions and make it more their own. Everyone in the shire wore the same sort of clothing, which was why he knew that this proud and snobbish _lass_ was most definitely not from the shire. She wore tight, leather clothing that seemed to be made by dwarves.

Gandalf's face immediately broke out into a wide smile, before saying "Bilbo" in his usual booming voice. This greeting was quite enough, for both Bilbo and Gandalf knew the significance of it in his tone. They hugged strongly, well, Bilbo did, but Gandalf didn't, in fear of suffocating his hobbiton friend.

"I see that you have been enjoying yourself quite throughly recently. This is good, you are finally participating in the Shire's community," said Gandalf to which Bilbo chuckled awkwardly.

"Although," he continued, glancing at the pub where bursts of laughter came, "I have a feeling that you might be already be tired of it. I know your temperament Baggins. I suspect that all you would like to do is sit in front of a fire and eat some of that lovely cheese that you have kept in secret, stored in your attic for god knows how long."

"You guess correctly Gandalf, as always. Your intuitive mind never fails," said Bilbo. There was a moments silence where Bilbo stood awkwardly, peering at Gandalf who looked, quite serenely, out across the field. Why had he asked him to come?

"I must apologise for the place of meeting. I'm afraid lovely Ireth here was afraid that the nosy hobbits would overhear our conversation," said Gandalf, smiling at her. Bilbo turned around to look at her for the first time since departing his hobbit-hole.

She stood a little step back from them, glancing up and blushing. Bilbo could see her rosy cheeks, even in the dark.

"I-I am sorry Gandalf, but upon seeing them today I couldn't help but-but notice that they er-" she started, her voice more feminine and fragile.

"It is perfectly alright. I can understand your feelings," said Gandalf. Bilbo frowned at her before sharply looking back at Gandalf.

"Ireth?" said Bilbo.

"Oh my, you do not even know her name? My, my Bilbo, that is not very courteous of you to not even ask her name! This, my dear fellow, is Ireth Seregon of Loamsdown. And this, my dear, well, I think you know who this is. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End."

"I'm sorry Gandalf, but um, what exactly is going on here?" asked Bilbo, in much like the quizzical fashion Ireth had used previously.

"Ah, yes well I was just going to start to explain. There is a reason I have returned to Shire Mr Baggins, and once again I'm afraid I must ask too much of you.…"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"So... Why are you hear?" asked Bilbo, his eyebrows furrowed. All that could be heard were the crickets singing quietly in the grass.

"I have witnessed a prophecy. A prophecy which was revealed by one of my very good friends," said Gandalf, peering at Bilbo with amusement. Bilbo did not find this funny at all.

"And who was that?" asked Bilbo bluntly. Ireth stood awkwardly in the corner of his eye, her pupils glinting in the dark.

"An elf. But not just any elf. One who has lived in these lands for quite some time now. Can you guess to whom I am referring to? Brilliant intelligence, long flowing hair that seems to be made from moonlight, the most beautiful eyes-"

"I thought all elves were like that. Airy-fairy, wondering around eating lembas bread, singing-"started Bilbo, who was feeling rather negative now because Gandalf was prolonging his tale.

"That is not all that they do," came a bitter and blunt voice. Bilbo turned towards Ireth and immediately sucked in his breath. Ireth was fuming, marching towards Bilbo as if she wanted to rip his throat out. Although Bilbo was suddenly quite terrified, he couldn't help but notice that she looked rather pretty and becoming when she was blushing, though looking angry and flustered. Except for her wild eyes of course, which seemed to be calling out for blue murder.

"He didn't mean to be so abrupt, my dear Ireth. Please understand that Bilbo Baggins has the slight flaw of impatience. I was testing to see how long he would endure, but he seems to have failed miserably," said Gandalf warmly.

"Why are you so protective over the elves anyway?" asked Bilbo, ignoring Gandalf.

"Because I was brought up by them," said Ireth matter-of-factly, her eyes cold and indifferent.

Now for Bilbo and probably the rest of the hobbits in his village, to know of a hobbit that was not from Hobbiton was a rarity. To know of one from outside the Shire was simply out of the question. But to know of a Hobbit who was... who was... who was raised by elves?! Well, that was just simply ridiculous. Which was why Bilbo's jaw dropped and his reply was, "Excuse me?"

"We can talk of Ireth's wondrous past another time Bilbo," intervened Gandalf, frowning at Ireth. "But for now I must carry on with my story."

Checking his surroundings, Gandalf nodded to himself before continuing in more hushed tones, making Bilbo and Ireth come closer towards him in order to hear.

"Galadriel. It was Galadriel-"

"As in, Galadriel, ruler of Lothl-"stammered Bilbo, to which Ireth raised her eyebrows sarcastically.

"Yes, yes," said Gandalf vigorously. "The very same. The Prophecy came abruptly and Galadriel was taken off guard. She had not asked for a prophecy to be told. At first I thought she was ill, but she said that she saw something in the waters. The prophecy mentioned two beings. One was explicitly described as a halfling who was raised by the elves. This could mean no other than Ireth to my knowledge. Galadriel agreed that she only knew of Ireth and no one else. The second mentioned was a hobbit of middle age living in hobbiton, of certain wealth, credibility and respectability. I immediately thought of you, Bilbo. It could not possibly have meant anyone else. Unfortunately, I could not unravel what the prophecy meant, which is why I went to Ireth and asked if she knew anything of it, but she was just as ignorant as I. Galadriel refuses to look deep into these prophecies and I understand her wisdom. It is dangerous to look too deeply at these things. They can lead to destruction. Prophecies are powerful but also fragile and weak. But this was different to the others, it was vivid and not hazy, more of a message than a prophecy, a task I felt, an order almost. I have called for you tonight Bilbo Baggins because I once again must ask too much of you. I am to take you on a journey to another wizard such as myself who may hold answers for us and tell us what the prophecy is foretelling."

Bilbo gazed at Gandalf, who looked very grave, staring up at the sky.

"You're saying that we are to go on an adventure?" he asked slowly.

"Something of that description," said Gandalf lightly.

"But you are not going to tell me what the prophecy initially said?" prodded Bilbo.

"No, I think it best not to at this stage," said Gandalf carefully.

"Right. But Ireth here knows," continued Bilbo, pointing at Ireth who was being abnormally quiet.

"I had no right to tell her at first. It is of little consequence however. As I said before, it is beguiling language, not of our tongues. I could only decipher a couple words," said Gandalf, looking back now at the pub in the distance. Laughter still rang from it.

"I am saddened at the fact that I must take you away, Mr. Baggins. But please understand me. I am trying to be as clear as I can. This may be an adventure, but it is also a mission. A mission to insure your welfare. I am not making a suggestion, I am making an order."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

For the first couple of days, they travelled across Hobbiton quickly, only stopping at the end of each day to rest. Soon the rich green thicket of Hobbiton had faded, and they were replaced by grim wastelands with not much vegetation. However it did not seem to be inhabited by orcs or other fearful creatures, so Bilbo felt a bit relieved. Throughout their journey however, Ireth had not spoken at all to Bilbo, and he suspected that she had actually been avoiding him, although god knows why. When Bilbo enquired about this to Gandalf, he merely replied,

"She probably feels rather nervous around you, Mr Baggins. You must remember that she has never lived with another of her kind. She simply does not know how to approach you and is probably hesitant to do so." To this Bilbo frowned, and after a day's contemplation, decided to initiate conversation himself. This felt quite strange and foreign to Bilbo, who usually avoided social contact as much as possible. He took the opportunity when they had done journeying for the day and were cooking dinner. Ireth sat quite alone in front of the fire and Bilbo walked silently towards her before uttering,

"Ehem! Er-", to which Ireth jumped at the sound of.

"You scared me the elf's butt out of me!" said she, looking rather huffed. "How did you manage to creep up on me so quietly?!"

Turning her gaze from his guilty-looking face to his large, big feet, she expression turned from annoyance to understanding, perhaps embarrassment too.

"Oh… of course, you're a Hobbit! Like me," she muttered sarcastically to herself, before giving a forced smile, turning towards the fire again.

"Umm, can I-can I sit with you?" asked Bilbo, to which Ireth eyes widened in surprise for a mere second before nodding, returning to her resolute state. He sat himself down quietly next to her.

"God you really do move quietly don't you?" said Ireth, looking at Bilbo with amusement.

"It's a defence mechanism," said Bilbo defencely. "Predators can't hear you you see, and we're small, because then they can't see us."

"I never thought of it that way," said Ireth, gazing at the fire.

"What do you mean?" asked Bilbo, frowning at her.

"I mean, I only saw my defects, compared to the Elves-"

"Oh, well you can't compare yourself to them, they're a completely different race! Humans are probably the closest to us."

"You've seen humans!" exclaimed Ireth, sharply looking at Bilbo with wonder. Her pupils seemed to be bigger, and her eyes twinkled next to the light from the fire.

"Y-yes," stammered Bilbo, blinking a couple times. _God she was beautiful. _

"And? And what are they like?" she asked eagerly.

"Surprisingly not that different to us. Some love agriculture, others are brave, some like to just sit at home like me-"

"Sit at home?" said Ireth bluntly, frowning at Bilbo. "But that's not what you are like. You like adventure and-"

"How do you know?" asked Bilbo bluntly.

"Well," stammered Ireth, "because you- well, you _defeated _the dragon! Because of all those stories that people constantly talk about!"

"Yes, well that's just _talk_ isn't it," said Bilbo darkly. "It wasn't as glamorous as that. I didn't ask for it, and I certainly didn't ask to come on this adventure either."

Bilbo immediately felt regret as soon as the horrible words left his mouth.

"Oh," said Ireth sourly, turning her gaze away from Bilbo and lifting her chin. "Well, that's disappointing. I thought you might be a bit more proud or at least acknowledge people's appreciation for you. You obviously don't understand the concept."

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you," mumbled Bilbo before getting up and quickly running away from the situation.

…

_"_I see you were talking with Ireth yesterday evening," said Gandalf warmly the following morning as there were on the road again. "Are you getting on well now?"

"Worse, actually," said Bilbo blandly.

There was an awkward pause.

"Oh, yes, I er see. Well, hmph, I think these things take time. I suppose you think she's a little, how shall I say it, proud?"

"Yes," replied Bilbo.

"Stubborn?"

"Yes," said Bilbo monotonously.

"Narrow-minded?"

"Yes."

"Well, er, I suppose you can now see the correlation of these traits with the-"

"Elves?" replied Bilbo sarcastically.

"Ye-s," said Gandalf. "And I wouldn't be surprised. She was found by them actually."

"Found?" said Bilbo, eyebrows raised.

"Yes, found as a baby. In a basket. Floating across a river. To be perfectly honest, I do not know much, but it is a common rumour among the elves that she is in fact half-elf, half-hobbit," said Gandalf, as if he were commenting on the weather.

"What?!" said Bilbo hoarsely. He had never such a thing before.

"Of course, we cannot confirm this. It is only rumour, but a strong one. Nobody knows of her heritage or where she came from. Except her name. Ireth."

"Is that a clue?"

"A major clue," said Gandalf with enforcement, staring at Ireth who was now walking several metres further than them. One of the dwarves had obviously made a very funny joke, for she suddenly burst out laughing, hardly able to contain herself.

Bilbo blinked several times, and felt a sudden intake of breath. It was the first time he had ever seen her laugh. It was, to put it simply, like blinding sunshine that had suddenly shined through a sky full of dark clouds.

As Gandalf turning towards Bilbo to continue talk, he stopped. As he observed Bilbo, he frowned. And then he felt a sense of shock enter his system. He had accidentally seen the moment that somebody had fallen in love.


End file.
